Improvement in sheer-booms



w. c. GIULBERITVSUNJ Sheer-Boom.

Patented May 11, 1875.

Inue 111 607.

THE GRAPHIC COJH'OTOrLITH-fi 41 PARK PIAOLN-Y.

PATENT FFIG WILLIAM C. OULBERTSON, OF GIR-ARD, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN SHEER-BOOMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 163,002, dated May 11,1875;-application filed March 16, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. CUL- BERTSON, of Girard, in the county ofErie, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Sheer-Booms, of which the following is a specificationThe invention relates to a sheer-boom, the rudders whereof are secureddirectly to the raft or boom proper by pins on which they are turnedfrom a vertical into a nearly horizontal plane, for the purpose ofoperating the said boom; and the invention consists in an operating cordand Windlass, hold-backs, and stops, arranged as hereinafter set forth,and combined with the rudders and raft as specified.

In the drawings illustrating my invention, Figure l is a perspectiveview of a part of a raft or boom with two of the rudders in position forholdingthe boom in the stream. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof, withrudder in position out of the water, or so that the boom may swing downstream to allow the passage of a boat or raft.

The letter B may represent a raft or boom proper of any required size,and having any number of rudders, R, secured thereto. These rudders aremade with a flange, D, at right angles to their face and at their innerends, and by means of said flange they are secured on pins d to theboom. The pins d may be large bolts, or other equivalent means, thatwill allow of the turning or partial rotation of the rudders on them,and are fixed near the bottom of the boom, so as to pass through theflanges near their. lower edge. Rudder-posts A are provided, and tothese a cord, G, is secured, so as to connect the several posts; andthis cord, chain, or line passes from a windlass at one end of the boomto the several rudder-posts; thence, through a pulley at the other endof the boom, back to said Windlass. A cord, F, extends from the boom tonear the outer end of each rudder, and is there secured by a loop,ff,one end f of said loop being secured near the top, and the other f nearthe bottom, of said rudder. O is a stop-block, having a groove, 0, madelongitudinally therein, attached to the boom at one side of the rudder;and E is a stop-pin set on the boom in a line with the rudder-posts, onthe other side the rudders. The rudder-posts are made with a rib, a,that fits in the groove 0 of the stop-blocks, and the edge b of saidposts abuts against the blocks 0, whereby a firm support is afforded therudders against pressure and strain at that point, and their outer endsare strengthened by the holdbacks F. As shown in Fig. 1, the rudders arein position to be acted upon by the current; and when it is desired tohave the boom go down stream, so that a boat or other thing may pass,the cords O are drawn in until the rudders assume the posit-ion shown inFig. 2, when the current can no longer affect them. In this position theblades or rudders are at an angle sufficient to keep the raft afloat,and they are held there by their posts, resting on the stops E, whichprevent their further descent, and by the cord G, which keeps them fromturning up. By reversing the Windlass the rudders are brought back intotheir vertical place, and the boom will again assume its position in thestream.

It will be understood that the blocks 0 keep the rudders from turningtoo far in the opposite direction.

In turning the rudders, the cords ff of the loops on the hold-backs Fserve to steady and sustain the rudders and render the operation easy.

It will be understood from this that in the operation of the ruddersnothing is left to the force of the current, or to the peculiarconstruction of the rudders themselves, but

the whole action is controlled by mechanical means, thus insuring betterresults.

I am aware that it is not new to provide sheer-booms with ruddersadapted to turn or rotate on their longitudinal axes, and I do notdesire to claim this broadly as my invention; but

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a sheer-boom the rudders thereof, adapted to turn on theirlongitudinal axes, in combination with their operating cords andWindlass, and back-stops O, substantially in the manner and for thepurpose described.

2. In a sheer-boom the rudders thereof, adapted to rotate on theirlongitudinal axes so as to present a horizontal or vertical surface inthe Water, in combination with the stops 0 and E, and hold-backs F,substantially as described.

To the above specification of my invention I have signed my name this6th day of March, 1875.

WM. 0. OULBERTSON.

Witnesses:

J. H. NICHOLS, R. S. BATTLES.

